CHAPTER III
FALL ACTIVITIES

In considering the activities usually found in an intramural program, no
detailed discussion is necessary. The activities will be discussed in alpha-
betical order and listed under the four seasons of the year. Our main purpose is
to point out problems that will be encountered in certain sports in the program
and to make a few practical suggestions here and there.

The program should be outlined at the first of the year so that students will
know the order of the sports and can plan to participate in them. Since the
weather must be considered in outdoor activities, the director should allow for
an extra week or two when planning such schedules. Activities chosen should con-
form to the locality and fit into school life. It would be foolish to plan for
ice boating in Florida or for soccer in a community which has been sold on touch
football. If a change to soccer is planned, some missionary work is in order to
induce students to take part. Many activities are used in more than one season
of the year. Each available activity will be listed but it will be discussed
only in relation to its main season.

ARCHERY

Archery is perhaps one of the oldest sports inciuded in the intramural pro-
gram as it has been practiced for about 50,000 years. It has a very interesting
historical background which lends color and fascination to the sport. It satis-
fies the hunting and roving instincts of boys as well as meets the search for
artistic beauty in girls. Archery may be adapted to the strength of each parti-
Cipant by proper selection of the bow for a wide range of ages. It seems to be
most popular at the college level, but it is being introduced rapidly into the
high schools. It may be made more interesting if those who participate are
encouraged to make their own equipment. This can be done in connection with the
industrial arts department and should furnish the basis for an adult hobby which
may well become a family activity.

The objections to the inclusion of archery in the intramural program grow
out of the expense and the danger resulting from careless shooting. If the
students are sufficiently interested in the activity they can be encouraged to
make their own equipment,* which would eliminate the financial objection and give
them knowledge of a handicraft and instill into them a pride of ownership that
would spur them on as archery enthusiasts.

If the equipment is to be school owned, it would be well to investigate steel
and aluminum arrows. They are not very expensive, and although they bend, they
can be straightened. They may be easily matched because arrows of the same length
are identical and only need cresting to group them into sets. (A good archer who
laughed at "tin arrows" found that the writer's aluminum arrows behaved favorably
in competition with his expensive set of matched and footed Port Orford cedar
arrows. )

To minimize the dangers of archery, a sodded embankment or other type of
backstop should be constructed and a thorough lecture on safety regulations should
be given and enforced with strict personal supervision. The range should be

 

* Archery, Making Tackle and Shooting. Chicago, Recreation Division of the Chicago
Park District. 1937 - 35¢

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